Color-changing and flash-light sign.



G. A. MILLER. GOLQB CHANGING AND FLASH LIGHT SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. e 1910. 1,004,671. Y

Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

l vilmeoaea wuentoz G. A. MILLER. COLOR CHANGING AND FLASH LIGHT SIGN.

. z M 2 O l W T f m m w m I N 0 N m E a H v 8 2 Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

Qwshwe aij filler M6 bl II APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 6, 1910.

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GUSTAVE,A. MILLER, 0F WICHITA, KANSAS.

COLOR-GHANGIN G AND FLASH-LIGHT SIGN.

My invention is more especially designed to serve as a color changing and flash light sign, in which the operative parts are such that the color of the advertisement or the lettcrsis changed as often as desired,,and by which a flash light effect is automatically given'to the letters during-the color changing. action.

he mam object of my invention is to produce an apparatus of the character noted, of a simple and durable constructlon in which speclal provlslon 1s made for economy in hght and by which the sign 1s rendered an attractive day, as.well as night, sign.

1th other ob ects 1n view that Wlll hereinafter appear, my invention, in its generic nature, embodies an improved arrangement of a movable color changing ribbon or curtain that cooperates with the sign or letters for intermittently changing the color effect of the sign or letter, and means for effecting flash light effects onthe said sign or letter while the color changing ribbon is in motion.

In'its more complete nature, my invention consists in certain details of construction and peculiar combinationof parts, all of which will be hereinafter fully explained, specifically pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a perspective view of my invention, arts of the casing being broken away to illustrate the internalconstruction. Fig. 2, is a vertical longitudinal section 'of the same. Fig. 3, is a detail horizontal section on the line 33 onFig. l and shows the preferred construct-ion of the sign letter. Fig. 4, is a detail view of a modified form of the letter. Fig. 5, is a detail View of portions of the actuating gear devices here-- inafter specifically referred to.

In the practical application of my lnvention and a preferred arrangement thereof,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

Application filed September 6, 1910. Serial No. 580,525.

the same comprises a casing embodying a front and a back wall 32, a bottom 4 and a top 1, within which is mounted the actuating mechanism, the construction of which is best shown in Fig. 1.

In the front wall of the casing is located the sign .or advertisement which, in the showing made, represents the letter D and the said letter in the preferred arrangement is constructed as follows. The body of the letter is made of clear white glass, its front surface 35 being convexed and in practice is covered with an enamel 35* of any desired color while the remaining portions 38 and- 39are preferably gilded. The convexed surface of the letter has a number of concaved depressions 40 that are not enameled, they being clear glass. When the type of letter shown in Fig. 1 is used, the flanges 39 abut the edges of the cut-out portions 11 of the front casing wall 3 and are fastened to such wall in any desired manner.

Fig. 4 shows a modified form of letter or sign member which has its outer face of convexed shape, the outer surface of which is enameled as at 28 and 29 with a'central lengitudinal clear glass space 31 between the enameled surfaces, the enameled portions being of any desired color. In this latter form the flanges 30 are cemented or otherwise made fast to the casing wall 3.

The color changing and flash light effecting mechanism consists of an endless curtain or belt 6 of a thin flexible material and the curtain is arranged so its vertical portion 60 is interposed between the sign and the source of light, it-being understood, although not illustrated, that signs or letters may also be located in the back wall and in that case both the vertical portions 60 of the belt are interposed between the front and the back wall signs and the source of light. The curtain (3 passes over rollers 8, 9, 10 and 11, having sprocket portions 12, 13, 1 1 and 15 with which engage the sprocket chain portions 16 attached to and forming a part of the endless curtain 6. The several rollers 8,

9, 10 and 11 are suitably journaled in brackets a-a a-a secured to the top and bottom portions of the casing and one of the said rollers '(11) has its shaft 18 provided with a pinion 17. A driven shaft 20 carries a sector gear 19 for intermittently engagingthe pinion 17 and the said shaft 20 has alargepulley 2 1 that receives motion from the drive belt 23 that takes over a smaller pulley casing wall, and the said belt is also providcd with a large number of horizontal tiers of holes 61 of the shape and size best suited to accomplish the desired effects on the sign or letter portions. The color sections of the curtain are in horizontal arrangement so that in passing between the light and the letter, one color (red) is imparted to the letter for a short time, then another color, white, and then blue, and so on.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 2 it will be noticed shaft 20 carries a bevel gear 25 that meshes with and imparts motion to a bevel gear 26 on the lower end of a shaft 27 the upper end of which is journaled in a bracket 60 pendent from the casing top and which has an arm 61 for supporting one or more electric lights 7.

27 designates a reflector mounted on the shaft 27 and comprising a plurality of mirror blades 27 to which, when the apparatus is in action, a continuous rotary motion is imparted from the driven shaft 20, it being- I obvious that such motion intermittently reflects or flashes direct rays of light through the holes in the curtain 6 and through the clear glass 5 aces in the letter D.

The num er of letters or sign portions, the number of reflectors, and the number of inside lights may be modified as conditions make most desirable. I find it preferable to use a lamp 70 at the bottom end of the reflector as shown.

From the foregoing taken in connection with the drawings the complete construction and the operation and general advantages of my invention will be readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a casing, a visible character formed of glass mounted in one wall of the casing, portions of the said character being enameled, an endless color changing curtain within the casing, a source of light back of the endless curtain, means for flashing the light against the endless curtain, and actuating mechanism contained within the casing for operating the said means and the endless curtain.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a visible character carrying wall, a visible character having transparent portions and mounted in said wall, a stationarily held source of light, a movable color changing curtain interposed between said source of light and said character, a rotary reflector for flashing the light through said curtain, and a power mechanism for turning said reflector and moving said curtain.

GUSTAVE A MILLER.

Witnesses: JOHN D. DAVIS, J. M. HARRIS. 

